An author resource box is a small section (usually) at the bottom of the article the author has written. It must be kept short and to the point. Too much content and it just won’t be read. An author bio or profile is longer, able to contain a lot more facts, self promotion and credentials.
First, consider where the resource box is going to appear. You already know it has to be kept short. What else do you know about the medium, the market or the style of the site your article will be located upon? You may not know all of these things. If you are writing for a specific site you can take a look around and decide if you want to write something offbeat, professional or silly to match the style or the market the site appeals to.
If you are writing a resource box for articles which will be syndicated by an article directory you really don’t know where they will end up at all. That, in itself, is information you need to take into account. You may want to make it clear your article stands on it’s own and does not reflect the site it may be found on. I think this is a good reason to give a reliable link back to your main site or blog. Not just a link to some part of your site but the front page that gives a real picture of you and how you want yourself to be seen.
Secondly, promote yourself or your products/ services. You do this by telling people what you have to offer them. Gear it to the person reading your article, not a just a list of what you can do, but a reason for them to find out more about you. Give them something to respond to. Answer the question of why they should come to your site, buy your product or pay for your services. If you know the site versus a syndicated article take the information you have about the site’s market and style and use it to offer them something they will want, or want to know more about.
Last of all, give the basic information. This does not mean it comes last in the resource box. Your name should come first, before any other content. If available you can add a small graphic or photo by your name. Then a job title or something else that says who you are to give yourself some kind of authority/ credentials. At the end include your web site or blog link and contact information.
Try to keep the whole thing down to 3 lines. Short and sweet. Highlight your name, web site title and contact information so they are very easy to find. People may not read what you wrote in the resource box (they may not even read the article you posted) but anyone who skims to the end will see a link and if something catches their interest chances are they will click the link.